The Great Australian muscle car, once the automotive equivalent of Conan the Barbarian, has become rather civilised. A relatively primitive, thuggish 5.0-litre V8 with go faster bits the diehard petrolhead's prescription for underbonnet heaven is still standard issue, but the finer points of handling, comfort and refinement are now receiving serious attention.

The latest Falcon GT, a $69,500 limited edition special released to mark the 30th anniversary of the 1967 gold XR GT, is a prime example. The GTs of the 1960s and 1970s were built as Bathurst winner platforms with great success, culminating in the legendary 1971 GTHO Phase III's 1-2-3-5-6 finish at Mt Panorama.

The 1997 GT, in contrast, is touted as being true to its "grand tourer" moniker. Based on the EL Fairmont and fettled by Tickford, today's GT is about as close to Bathurst as Bellevue Hill. There's a CD stacker. Climate control air-conditioning. Cruise control. Cupholders, for crying out loud!

Performance is still a priority, of course. The V8 produces a handy 200 kW of power a little more than 20 per cent up on the Tickford XR8 V8. Under serious throttle, it doesn't pin your ears back but from 2,000 rpm in any gear, the GT still lunges forward like a hot V8 should. Overtaking ability is superb.

The rolling thunder note from the large diameter twin exhausts turns mean from about 4,000 rpm, and extensively revised air flow, larger valves and high lift rockers give the GT exceptional responsiveness in the upper half of its operating range.

There's a trace of rough running at idle, but once under way everything smooths out beautifully until close to the 6,200 rpm redline, when all those hefty moving lumps start vibrating again.

Drive recorded 7.9 seconds for the 0-100 km/h sprint in the manual quick, but not quite A Grade. Despite the Hydratrak limited-slip differential and half the world's annual rubber production wrapped around the rear wheels, the GT's massive torque at low revs will readily break traction in first and second gears.

The test GT was fitted with a five-speed manual gearbox. An adaptive version of Ford's four-speed auto is a no-cost option. The relatively long throw manual shifter needs to be pushed firmly into each gate, but the clutch is surprisingly light and progressive in take-up, and driving the GT smoothly in traffic is no problem.

The GT can't disguise its bulk on a tight road, and the front end is more agile and well behaved than the rear. But the Tickford suspension, the wide, ultra low profile Yokohama tyres and the sharp, communicative steering are as disciplined and effective a handling combination as you'll get in a big Ford.

Body roll is minimal. Providing the accelerator is treated with respect, the GT stays glued to the bitumen, allowing very high cornering speeds.

The GT's beefed-up ABS brakes provide excellent power and feedback when working hard, but the test car's pedal felt spongy initially.

Ride quality is better than expected from such an aggressive suspension/tyre set-up, but is still quite hard. The GT is reasonably comfortable on smooth highways and around town, but you'll never nod off on a rough country road.

Judging by the questions and favourable comments about the test car, the hottest Falcon has lost none of its mystique over the past 30 years. The latest incarnation of the legendary banger is slightly less outrageous than it looks in performance terms, but it still wears the GT badge well.

ENGINE: 5.0-litre fuel-injected V8

PERFORMANCE: 0-100 km/h in 7.9 seconds (quick)

BRAKES: Discs with ABS (good)

ECONOMY: 14.7 litres/100 km (thirsty)

PRICE: Recommended retail - $69,500 Street price - Non-negotiable for new cars, but plenty of Ford dealers are using GTs as personal transport, so demonstrator discounts are possible.

MAIN OPTIONS: Electric sunroof $2,813; Class ll tow pack $1,270.

ALTERNATIVES: HSV GTS 5.0 V8 - $68,424.

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The size of your tyre is located on the sidewall of your tyre.It will be similar to the sample below.